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Since becoming owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999, former superstar player Mario Lemieux has won three Stanley Cup championships.

The third happened on Sunday night, when the Pens beat the Predators 2-0 in Nashville to win the 2016-17 Stanley Cup. The first two were in 2009 and last season. The Pens on Sunday became the first back-to-back champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. "It's a challenge every year," Lemieux said. "(General manager) Jimmy Rutherford's got to go out every year and make sure we're under the (salary) cap and we get some new young guys that can play for less than some of the veterans that we would like to have. The franchise has done a great job in drafting over the years and bringing in these young guys like Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust and these young guys come up and help us win a couple of Cups in a row." Jun 12 - 10:33 PM

The Battle of Pennsylvania will add a new chapter to their illustrious history in 2017, it's just a matter of format.

Scott Burnside notes that while "pans for next year’s Winter Classic remain fluid," Pittsburgh versus Philadelphia in an outdoor venue is a "virtual lock." As it stands now, likely venues are for a match at Heinz Field which is home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Problem is that if the NHL wants this game as their Winter Classic, the Steelers aren't inclined to budge on forfeiting home field on the last day of the regular season. They're also reticent to potentially ruin their field for a Wild Card playoff game the following week. There's also talk of playing the game at Penn State University, but "the financial demands" appear to rich. Whether they play as the Winter Classic match or as part of the Stadium Series, these two bitter rivals appear set to create history for themselves. Fri, Feb 5, 2016 09:17:00 PM

Pittsburgh Penguins owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux are denying that there is a rift between them.

A recent New York Post article suggested Burkle and Lemieux were at odds over the potential sale price of the squad and the Penguins had consequently been taken off the market. "There is no disagreement between us, and we remain completely aligned in both approach and philosophy," Burkle and Lemieux said in a joint statement. "We continue to explore all of our strategic options, including a possible sale. There is not, and has never been, an established price for the team, and we are still in conversations with potential buyers." It's been known since June that the Penguins' ownership is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise. Fri, Jan 15, 2016 11:36:00 AM

Pittsburgh Penguins owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux are reportedly thinking about selling part or even their entire stake in the franchise.

They've hired Morgan Stanley to aide in that situation. This doesn't necessarily mean they actually will sell the franchise, they might simply be exploring their options, but it would be a huge surprise to see Lemieux part ways with the Penguins. Oddly enough though, it sounds like Lemieux is more open to selling than Burkle. We'll have to wait and see if anything comes of this. Wed, Jun 3, 2015 06:47:00 PM

Depth Charts

"It's just a number," he said. "Just a number to me." Crosby has accomplished a great deal recently and his success in the past 26-plus months has been well-documented. He is also just the eighth player to post 1,000 points and win three Stanley Cups before hitting the age of 30. "He's at the peak right now and he's got a number of years left at his peak because he has taken care of himself so well and because he knows his body better than ever now," said Penguins assistant Mark Recchi. Crosby is far from being done and believes the Penguins can three-peat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017-18. "We're going to training camp with that in mind," said the Pittsburgh captain. "It'll be a big challenge, but why not?"

Malkin picked up three first-place votes and 11 second-place votes. Sidney Crosby, who won the award for a second straight year, captured 11 of 15 first-place votes. Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel had the other first-place vote.

Carter Rowney has been filling in at center with Nick Bonino out of the fold due to injury.

"Rowney has played some really strong minutes for us," coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's a good center iceman. He's a good faceoff guy. ... We've been really pleased with how Carter's played here throughout the course of this playoffs." He has been skating on the fourth line and has collected just three assists in 18 playoff matches.

McKegg will earn $650,000 at the NHL level. He played in 46 games with Tampa Bay and Florida last season and collected seven points. McKegg could compete for a fourth-line spot on the Penguins at training camp.

"Just to see my family, it's special," said Guentzel. "They're just so proud of me. To hear that and all they've done for me, it means the world. Dream come true. You think about this moment your whole life. It's pretty crazy." Guentzel led the 2017 postseason with 13 goals and he finished with an incredible shooting percentage of 25.0. He came within one marker of matching Dino Ciccarelli's rookie NHL record.

Scott Wilson was a healthy scratch Monday night in Game 4 against Nashville.

Coach Mike Sullivan chose to use Josh Archibald instead. "We felt we wanted to try to put some enthusiasm and energy and speed in the lineup," Sullivan said. "Archie brings all those things to the table." Wilson hadn't been in the press box since Game 6 versus Washington. He has notched three goals and three assists in 18 postseason appearances.

"Phil Kessel's an important part of the Penguins," Rutherford said on 93.7 The Fan. "He gets a lot of points. He scores big goals. He sets up big goals. The more impact players that you have, like we have, the better chance you have of winning." The general manager went on to say that while he won't rule out the possibility of Kessel someday being traded again he doesn't foresee it happening right now. Kessel hasn't found the back of the net with the same frequency that he did with Toronto, but he certainly has had a big impact offensively. He had 23 goals and 70 points in 82 games last season and then another eight goals and 23 points in 24 playoff contests.

Patric Hornqvist had a broken finger when he scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

It was widely believed that Hornqvist was playing hurt in Pittsburgh's series against Nashville. He only played in one game during the Eastern Conference Final because of an "upper-body injury," but he returned to play against his former team in the Stanley Cup Final. Hornqvist scored with just 95 seconds left in regulation to give the Penguins back-to-back championships.

Pittsburgh has signed Conor Sheary to a three-year contract worth $9 million.

Sheary and the Penguins avoided going to salary arbitration with the new deal. He produced personal bests in 2016-17 with 23 goals and 53 points in 61 matches. If he can regain his spot alongside Sidney Crosby this campaign then he should be able to generate similar numbers.

Ryan Reaves is happy to be a Penguin and is looking forward to the upcoming season.

The tough winger was acquired on Friday with the 51st overall pick for the Penguins first rounder (31 overall) and Oskar Sundqvist, a price many thought was steep for an enforcer. "I'm always playing physical. I play physical before anything else," Reaves said. "I think that buys guys on my team a little extra room, maybe a little more security on the ice, knowing that if you go run one of our guys, I'm coming and I'm 230 pounds coming at you. Maybe think twice." The Penguins were tired of opponents running at Sidney Crosby. With Reaves in the lineup, this should curtail. Reaves should get 15-20 points next season with 150-plus penalty minutes. Draft him accordingly.

Josh Archibald has agreed to a two-year, $1.35 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Archibald was coming off his entry-level contract. He had three goals in 10 games with Pittsburgh in 2016-17. He also recorded 16 goals and 29 points in 61 AHL contests. This new deal is one-way so he'll earn the same amount even if he doesn't make the Penguins' opening game roster.

Zach Aston-Reese will compete for a roster spot with Pittsburgh at training camp.

"I kind of set my own goals and that's for me to come in and just prove that I belong up here," Aston-Reese said. He is looking to follow in the footsteps of current Pittsburgh forwards as Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary, who went from college teams to the NHL. Aston-Reese may have to spend some time in the minors first just like Guentzel and Sheary did, but his career could take a similar path. He racked up 31 goals and 63 points in just 38 games last year with Northeastern University. Aston-Reese could a player worth monitoring.

Letang has had plenty of time to recover from surgery back in April for a herniated disc in his neck. "It's been pretty good and we're on a path of starting training camp and being fully healthy," he said. Letang was seen recently working on his footwork with former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, as he prepares for the upcoming season. The 30-year-old isn't a stranger to injuries, but when he is healthy Letang is one of the best offensive rearguards in the league.

The Pittsburgh Penguins has signed Justin Schultz to a three-year, $16.5 million contract extension.

Schultz is getting a huge boost from his one-year, $1.4 million deal for the 2016-17 campaign, but it's justifiable given the season he had. Schultz came up big for the Penguins with 12 goals, 51 points, and a plus-27 rating in 78 games. He added another four goals and 13 points in 21 playoff contests. This deal is very reasonable for the Penguins, especially given that Schultz didn't end up getting a long-term contract out of them.

Brian Dumoulin sustained a broken hand in the first round of the playoffs and it kept re-breaking during Pittsburgh's run to a second straight Stanley Cup title.

"It was tough to play with it, but obviously everybody had injuries," Dumoulin said. "It's all healed up now. They were deciding on surgery or not at the end of the season, but doctors saw a little bit of healing. We gave it about three weeks, and I kind of have been testing it out the last week. I've skated, and there have been no problems. I'm happy about it." Dumoulin didn't miss any time because of the injury and led the Penguins in average ice time per game (21:59) during the postseason. He agreed to a six-year contract on Monday to avoid salary arbitration.

Maatta, Brian Dumoulin and Ron Hainsey set career highs for ice time. Maatta averaged 18:03 of ice time during the regular season, but he's up to 21:02 per contest in the playoffs. He has also contributed seven points in 19 postseason outings. Maatta, Dumoulin and Hainsey have all stepped up for Pittsburgh's battered back end to help the team reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Ian Cole played with some significant injuries during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

According to Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe, Cole sustained a broken hand and broken ribs early in the team's second-round series versus Washington. Cole had nine assists and logged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per match in 25 postseason outings en route to a Stanley Cup triumph.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Matt Hunwick to a three-year/$6.75 million contract.

Hunwick is not a fantasy threat but will replace the departed Ron Hainsey on the Pens blueline. He had a goal and 19 points in 72 games with Toronto last season and should have similar numbers in 2017-18.

Derrick Pouliot feels his play towards the end of the AHL campaign showed that he's worked out his defensive shortcomings.

Pouliot has always had plenty of offensive talent, but his defensive game has left something to be desired. He was plus-12 in his final 24 contests with Wilkes-Barre in 2016-17 though. "For me to establish myself as an NHL defenseman, a regular guy in the lineup, it's kind of playing how I ended the season: solid defensively, consistent in that regard," Pouliot said. "That's been one thing that's always been brought up about me, inconsistency. So I think it's starting with that and building each game." This will be a key season for him, especially after inking a one-way, $800,000 contract with Pittsburgh. While it won't be easy for him to secure a spot with the Penguins, the possibility exists for the 23-year-old.

Matt Murray still feels he has plenty to prove as he establishes himself as a go-to starting goalie in the NHL.

"I feel like I haven't really done anything yet," said Murray, who has won two Stanley Cups before shedding his rookie status. "I definitely don't view myself as anything other than a guy who's just trying to prove myself and be the best hockey player I can be. A year and a half even though we've won both times? I don't think it really says a whole lot in the long run. I think I have a long way to go, and I feel like I'm just kind of getting started." The 23-year-old netminder has appeared in only 62 NHL games, but he has posted impressive statistics. Murray owns a 41-12-5 career record with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. His numbers are even better in the playoffs, where he has posted a mark of 22-9 with a 1.95 GAA and a .928 save percentage. Murray has enjoyed a great start to his career and there is no reason to believe he will slow down anytime soon.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year/$700,000 contract.

The Penguins needed a backup goalie and we guess they got one although there were lots of better options in our opinion. Niemi was horrible in Dallas last season with a 12-12-4 mark to go with a 3.30 GAA and a .892 save percentage. Only take him in fantasy pools if he is a friend or relative. He probably won't play much behind Matt Murray.

Look for the Pittsburgh Penguins to get a backup goaltender this summer and have Tristan Jarry start the 2017-18 campaign in the minors.

"He’s definitely ready [to play games in the NHL]," Penguins goaltending coach Mike Buckley said of Jarry. "It’s always best to give him more time, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to give him another year." Jarry is coming off a strong season where he posted a 2.15 GAA and .925 save percentage in 45 AHL contests. Assuming the Penguins do get a backup goaltender, Jarry might still be called upon at various points during the 2017-18 campaign as an injury replacement.